County staff outline FLOST referendum plan and projected 33% millage cut example

Chairman Lorenzo Heard and Program Manager Phil Sutton briefed the Dougherty County Commission on the Floating Option Local Sales Tax (FLOST) and its implementation timeline. Sutton said the proposal was “revenue neutral” and walked commissioners through a modeled example showing a proposed 33.19% millage rate reduction: on a $150,000 home taxed on $60,000 of value, annual property taxes in the unincorporated county would fall from $1,695 to about $1,132, while in the City of Albany the modeled reduction would be from $1,784 to $1,192. The commission was told the call for election on the FLOST referendum must be made no later than Feb. 26, 2026.